News in brief

Haywood County Chamber of Commerce is launching its 2012 Business Academy from 6-8 p.m. Oct. 4 at The Gateway Club in Waynesville.

The Business Academy is a free seven-session program from October through May that will address and assist business owners with overcoming and identifying the challenges of sustaining and growing a business. Advanced registration required.

The Blue Ridge National Heritage Area Partnership (BRNHA) is accepting grant applications for 2013.

BRNHA grants are investments in collaborative efforts that preserve the character of our landscapes, small towns, farms and historic sites; that nurture and share our distinctive craft, music and Cherokee traditions; and that let the world know about the natural wonders and rich cultural heritage of Western North Carolina.

The Naturalist's Corner

This year will mark the 117th annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count (CBC.) The CBC is the longest-lived and largest citizen-science project in the world.

The count began in 1900. It was the brainchild of Frank Chapman, one of the officers of the fledgling Audubon Society. Chapman created the “bird census” as an alternative to the traditional Christmas “side-hunt,” a contest where groups would shoulder their arms and hit the fields and/or woods — the team that came back with the greatest number of corpses would be declared the winner.